Introduction to the European Union

What is the European Union (EU)? How does it work? What are the main EU policy-making bodies? How do member states relate to the EU institutions? How do EU institutions interact and work with one another? In what fields does the EU produce public policy? The EU is a complex, unique organization that is neither a state, a federation nor an international organisation like, for instance, the Council of Europe, the United Nations or NATO. This course is an introduction to the political system of the EU and provides a detailed overview of the various institutions, their interactions and the way they make policy. It also offers a broad survey of key policies of the European Union, such as Economic and Monetary Union, Common Agricultural Policy, Common Foreign and Security Policy, etc. The course discusses the institutional set-up of the EU, EU policy making processes and policy areas.

Successful candidates are expected to have acquired the following knowledge and skills:

Knowledge

Students

• have a basic understanding of the political system of the EU
• have a basic knowledge of the EU's institutional structure and workings, including the main EU institutions and how they make policy
• have a basic knowledge of EU policy fields
• are familiar with core concepts such as supranationalism and intergovernmentalism
• understand the relationship between the EU and its member states

Skills

Students are able to

• analyse the role of EU institutions in making policy and legislation
• utilise knowledge about the EU in discussions pertaining to EU institutions, policy areas and policy-formation
• analyse critically the implications of the EU as a supranational political system
• utilise and communicate concisely the acquired knowledge of the EU in relevant contexts
• assess critically the reliability and validity of public information about EU institutions, their interaction and EU policy formation

Lectures and group sessions. Logbook. Students must submit and pass 3 logbook entries in order to sit for the exam.